The present invention relates, in general, to computer system assembly and, more particularly, to a bracket mount for a system component that allows fast simple attachment and removal of system components, such as a peripheral CD, DVD, and floppy disk drives, to a computer system chassis.
The increasing reliance upon computer systems to collect, process, and analyze data has led to the continuous improvement of the system assembly process and associated hardware.
A typical computer system comprises one or more circuit boards and various semi-autonomous system components such as hard disk drives, peripheral storage devices, and rotary cooling fans. The circuit boards and system components are typically housed together in a housing called a chassis.
With the trend towards smaller and sleeker packaging designs, the positioning of the various circuit boards and system components within the chassis is the subject of much study. Often certain circuit boards and components must be positioned within a predetermined distance of one another to meet electrical cabling specifications. On the other hand, due to the high amount of heat dissipated by the electrical circuit boards and components, a certain amount of airspace must often be maintained between the various circuit boards and components to allow sufficient air flow needed for cooling the components.
Attachment of circuit boards and system components within the computer system housing is another area of concern.
A given computer system must typically provide enough shielding to sufficiently reduce electromagnetic radiation emissions from the system to meet Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements. Thus, when a component is attached to a face of the housing, the attachment must typically be such as to prevent excessive leakage of electromagnetic radiation from the system when assembled.
If the computer system is to be mass-produced, considerations for fast, easy assembly must also be addressed; accordingly, the circuit boards and system components must be easy to install within a short amount of time. Attachment of the components must be secure and not subject to loosening over time due to system vibration, for example caused by motors and other components with moving parts such as rotary cooling fans. Such loosening results in noise which can interfere with the performance of the system.
To eliminate some of the assembly time required to install system components in the bay of a computer system chassis, it would be desirable to provide a peripheral mounting system for a computer system chassis that allows fast insertion and removal of system peripherals without requiring any specialized assembly or removal equipment.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved peripheral mounting system for a computer system.
It is another object to provide a peripheral mounting system for a computer system that allows fast insertion and removal of a system peripheral without requiring any specialized equipment.
It is yet another object to provide a peripheral mounting system for a computer system that does not require a large number of components.
It is still another object to provide a peripheral mounting system that prevents excessive electromagnetic radiation leaking from the system chassis.
To accomplish these and other objects, a peripheral mounting device is provided in the form of a bracket mounted to the peripheral and snapped into position to securely attach the peripheral within the bay of the chassis. A bay, or recess, is positioned in the chassis to receive the peripheral device. The bracket of the invention includes a bracket face plate having a aperture therein form-fitted to the circumferential shape of the peripheral device at the cross-section of the device that it will support. The peripheral device is inserted through the aperture of the bracket face plate, and the bracket of the invention is fixedly attached to the peripheral device via screws or other means. The bracket includes a support bar with at least one tab. To attach the peripheral device in position within the bay of the chassis, the tab of the bracket support bar is inserted into a corresponding support slot in the chassis, and the front panel of the system component is snapped into place in its corresponding position on a chassis face.
In the preferred embodiment, the bracket face plate includes a hook portion that fits over a lance provided on the panel chassis. Accordingly, to secure the peripheral device to the chassis, the tab of the bracket support bar is inserted into its corresponding support slot on the chassis, and the hook portion of the bracket face plate is hooked over the lance on the chassis with the application of manual pressure until the bracket snaps into position such that the front face of the peripheral device is aligned within a peripheral device face hole in the chassis panel. To remove the system component from the bay of the chassis, the user manually applies pressure on the front panel of the system component such that it clears the upper edge of the aperture of chassis. The bracketed system component is then pivoted up and away from the chassis aperture to unhook the hook portion from the lance. The support bar tab is then removed from its slot on the chassis, and the bracketed system component is then pulled out of the bay. Accordingly, the peripheral device can be removed in a matter of seconds to allow access to other devices and circuitry within the bay.